COPRUS CHRISTI, Texas – In a match that never featured a lead greater than four points, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi had two players reach century milestones in a tight 3-0 loss to Southeastern Saturday at the Dugan Wellness Center.
Graduate
Belle Morgan tallied 39 assists on the day to surpass 2,000 career assists to now be at 2,017 in her collegiate career. Sophomore
Kendall Mahaney later picked up her 1,000th career dig and then some after recording 12 in the match.
"Belle had a tremendous career at Villanova and is now showcasing what it truly means to be a high-level setter here as an Islander. 2,000 career assists is a huge milestone in a collegiate career and she deserves all the recognition for the hard work she puts in every day," said head coach
Steve Greene.
"Kendall had two great years as libero at Lubbock Christian and has stepped up her game even more here. I love watching her improve day in, day out and it is such a great accomplishment for her to hit 1,000 career digs playing in collegiate volleyball already!" said Greene.
The achievements come despite the Islanders (6-8, 1-1 SLC) just being edged out in every set by Southeastern (11-4, 2-1 SLC) including a 29-27 nail-biting opener. The second set was also decided by just two points at 25-23 before the Lady Lions closed out the match with a 25-21 set three.
"Our team is showing flashes of what we can be. We made a couple nice comebacks and runs of points but needed a couple more at the end of each set. Our fans and event staff created a great environment and made the Dugan Wellness Center a true home court advantage," Greene said.
Sophomore
Rylee Achtzehn came out as an offensive force for A&M-Corpus Christi, leading the match with her season-high 16 kills, just one shy of tying her career best. The Islanders slammed 49 kills compared to SLU's 44, with sophomore
Tori Arrington turning in her second double figure kill match in a row at 11.
"Rylee played amazing in the first couple sets tonight. She was seeing the game early and creating great position with the ball as an attacker. Her body language exuded confidence and we all saw how well she was playing," said Greene.
A&M-Corpus Christi also out-dug the Lady Lions 66-60, the team's eight consecutive match recording more digs than their opponents.
Three Islanders had at least 10 digs, with junior
Kayla White leading the team with 17. Mahaney's 12 digs seconded White while junior
Kyndal Payne added 10 herself, nearing a double-double with nine kills as well.
The Islanders will have another quick turnaround, hitting the road for a Tuesday night matchup at UIW before heading straight to HCU for a Thursday night meeting. They will return home next Saturday to host McNeese in the Dugan Wellness Center at 1 p.m. All matches will be streamed live on ESPN+.
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